METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis was still a bit limited in Tuesday's practice after missing the past week with an unspecified injury. But it didn't stop him from making a pair of terrific pass breakups. At one point in team drills, Lewis went up high to strip the ball away from big receiver Brandon Coleman on a pass thrown by Drew Brees.
After practice, the Saints' offensive players had to run extra gassers, but Lewis joined them to help ramp up his conditioning and "get back into it."
"I'm getting there," said Lewis, who wouldn't specify what he was dealing with but said he would have tried to play last week if it was a regular-season game. "You know, it's training camp, injuries happen all the time. But I feel like I'm getting better every day."
Some other notables from Tuesday's practice:
Safety Kenny Vaccaro was back to a full practice workload after missing the past week himself. Linebacker David Hawthorne was back after missing Sunday's practice. Cornerback Brandon Browner remained out, but he was on the sideline and dressed in a helmet and jersey for the first time since suffering a leg injury two weeks ago. He was wearing a brace around his right knee/leg area. ... Among those who remained absent from Tuesday's practice: RB C.J. Spiller, RB Khiry Robinson, WR Nick Toon, S Jairus Byrd, LB Dannell Ellerbe, LB Anthony Spencer.
Second-year receiver Willie Snead continues to stand out almost every day. He made two impressive catches early in practice. Then he showed hustle and effort by stripping the ball away from cornerback Terrence Frederick after an interception in team drills. Then he took advantage of a chance to play with the 1s by catching two passes from Brees late in the day. Snead's path to the roster is still awfully crowded. But he has the feel of a guy who will earn a roster spot based on merit as a fifth or sixth receiver. Then the Saints will have to figure out how they can find snaps for him on offense or special teams.
Frederick's interception was nice. Cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste also intercepted a pass that bounced out of the arms of tight end Benjamin Watson in 7-on-7 drills. It was a good day for the cornerbacks all around. Brian Dixon and Kyle Wilson also had one or two nice breakups. And receiver Joseph Morgan singled out Delvin Breaux after practice for his deceptive strength. "You can't let him get his hands on you," Morgan said.